Waller Changes From Big To Small

CORAL GABLES -- He didn`t have to find a Zoltar machine like Tom Hanks in Big to get his wish this summer.

All Jamie Waller had to find was the World Basketball League, where little players are big and big players don`t exist.

Waller, the newest member of the Miami Heat, spent May through September as the Most Valuable Player in the WBL, a league for players 6 feet 4 and shorter.

And at 6-4, Waller got his first chance to become a pivot player.

``It was fun. I got the chance to play in the post and do the things big men do,`` he said of his stint with the Las Vegas Silver Streaks.

Waller finished with a 27-point average to lead the league.

Then he came shrinking back to reality. The reality was the Chicago Bulls` camp, where players come in all sizes.

``Yeah,`` he said between Heat workouts Wednesday at the University of Miami, ``I expected it to be a lot different, so I worked out in between with Charles Oakley (an ex-teammate at Virginia Union).``

Waller made a habit of being a giant in little leagues last season. Before leaving for Las Vegas, he was named the Continental Basketball Association`s Rookie of the Year after averaging 23.1 points with Quad Cities and Charleston.

Ironically, life in the minor leagues for Waller began after he was cut last season from the New Jersey Nets by Dave Wohl -- the same Dave Wohl who spent Wednesday working with Waller as a Heat assistant.

``He was our last cut,`` Wohl said. ``He was a very, very competitive player. His outside shot wasn`t very consistent, but he was a tough defender. I think he`ll add a toughness factor if he makes it.``

Considering he joined Miami`s camp two weeks after it opened, Waller showed well during his first workouts.

The challenge in Miami will be to play catch-up. The challenge in Chicago, though, was far greater.

``I played against Michael Jordan every day, twice a day. That was my job,`` Waller said. ``I couldn`t wait for that thrill. I loved it. He had so many great tricks, you just couldn`t concentrate on one.``

Because he knew Miami also was interested, Waller said he asked to be released early from Chicago when it became apparent a job would not be available.

``They`re giving me an opportunity for a tryout, that`s all you can ask for,`` he said. ``I`m still very hungry and I`ll give it another year if I have to to get into the NBA.``

Just as Rothstein was lining his players up for a few final sprints, chunks off ice began to belch from an air-conditioning duct above the sideline at UM.

Asked if it meant his team could play well in the snow, Rothstein said: ``Very interesting ...``

Trainer Ron Culp helped clean the ice off the court after making his first Florida snowball.

-- Center Rony Seikaly continued to impress Rothstein in his comeback from a severe ankle sprain. ``Between yesterday and today is almost night and day,`` the coach said... Forward Pat Cummings (swollen leg) is expected to return to practice today... Rothstein said Miami will have three or four more plays in its offense for this weekend`s exhibitions against Indiana.

-- After the evening workout, Rothstein said additional cuts would be made either today or Monday... Asked if he would keep players such as Charlie Bradley (South Florida) and Nate Johnston (Tampa) around just to get them into Saturday night`s game in Tampa, Rothstein said, `Possibly.``... The second of today`s workouts has been cancelled, and Rothstein said two-a-days may be over.